Post-office box.



A. G. JACKSON & F. SOLEY.

POST OFFICE BOX.

APPLICATION FILED APR.19, 1913.

Patented Dec. 29, 1914.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

A. 0., JACKSON & P. SOLEY. POST OFFICE BOX.

APPLIOATION FILED APRJQ, 1913.

1 9 Patented Dec. 29, 1914.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A. c. JACKSON & F. SOLEYL POST OFFICE BOX.

APPLICATION FILED APR.19, 191s.

Patented Dec. 29, 1914.

4 SHEETS'SHEBT 3.

LIQQEWH.

A. C. JAGKSONfi I. SOLEY.

Patented Dec. 29, 19141.

4 SHEETSSHBET 4.

6 70 5 l3 j -/7' (3. 20 l4 z'----- @j E 5/ h K j j ARTHUR- c. JACKSON AND ASSIGNORS TO MILLER. max 00., or PHILADELPxIA, PENNSYLVANIA, a

CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, .ARTHUR C. JACK- sox and FRANK SOLEY, citizens of the United States. and residents of Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvei ments in Post-Oflice Boxes, of which the fol- Prior to our inventionithe usual practice has been to make the partitions of wood and to secure the front, carrying the door, to the wooden framework. In some in stances, the partitions have beeumade of metal and'a separate framework; containing the doors was located in front of the partitious. I

The object of our invention-is to make a series of complete boxes, preferably entirely of metal, each box consisting of a bottom and two side plates, with a front plate and a door attached to the front plateand so arranged that'a number of these boxes can be placed side bv side one above the other so that,,when assembled, they will form a comparatively rigid. and substantial nested structure.

1n the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is arear view of a nest of post oflice boxes illustrating our invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line aa, Fig. 1; Fig. 3

is a sectional plan view on the line bb r 1g. 1; Fig. 4 is a detached perspective view of one of the boxes looking from the rear;

Fig. 5 is a detached perspective view of one of the boxes looking from the front with the door partly open; Fig. 6 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view on the line cc, Fig. 7, illustrating one box located on another; Fig. 7 is a sectional view on the line (Z(Z, Fig. 6, showing two boxes arranged side bv side and mounted on two. other boxes: Fig. 8 is a sectional view on the line 3 e-e, Fig. 7; Fig. 9 is a sectional view of a body on the lined-d, Fig. 6; Fig; 10 is Specification of Letters Patent.

Application fil ed April 19, 1913. Serial No. 762,200. A

FRANK so-LEY, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA,

rosr-orricn' Box.

Patented Dec. 2a, iaia.

a perspective view of one of the front plates with the door removed; Fig. 11 is a sectional view on the line f-f,' Fig. 8; Fig. 12 is a sectional view on the line g-g, Fig. 8; Fig. 13 is an enlarged sectional view on the line h-h, Fig. 8; Fig. 14 is a detached perspective view showing the parts of the name plate; Fig. 15 is a perspectiveview of the U-shaped connection between the boxes; Fig. 1 6 is a sectional view on the line z'c', Fig. 8; Fig. .17 is a perspective view illustrating a detail of the invention; Fig. 18 is a sec-.

tional view showing a modification in which the body forms a top and two sides of a 'box; Fig. 19'is a modification showing-a;

body'port'fin forming the top, bottom, and. two sides f a box; and Fig. 20 is a View of a box in which the frame is secured to the box before nesting.

Mail boxes in'post oiiices are always at ranged in nests and these nests varv in size, as well'as the indiv dual boxes. The small boxes are usuallyprovided with doors and the larger boxes instead of having doors are so made as to receive drawers, each drawer being locked to the front frame of the nest. Boxes made in accordance with our invention are .provided with doors or are arranged for the reception of drawers.

In Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, we have illustrated a nest where there are five rows of boxes. Six boxes in the top row; four in the next two rows: two in the next row heneath and two, in the bottom row. This nest has a base and atop section and the boxes are held together by vertical and transverse bolts.

It will be understood that this is merely one nest and that the nests will vary according to circumstances.

. Referring now to Figs. 4 and 5, 1 is the 'bodv portion of a box consisting of a plate of sheet metal bent into shape. as illustrated in the drawings, and having a bottom 2 and sides 3'3. The sides have offset portions 4 which form the seat for the box in the tier above. Each box hasflanges 5- -5 at the rear end whichare turned out and back so I as to fill the space at the back of a tier of boxe s,-as it will be understood that the side of one box isspaced from the side of an ad joining box'so as to allow for the fastening,

means, na'melv. the lugs on the front-plates,

the vertical bolts and the spacers and by providing the flangesat the back of-each box so that the space is filled, letters cannot be accidentally deposited in the space 'between the boxes.

When the boxes are assembled, the flanges extend upward between the boxes of the tier above, but ivhen the boxesare arranged, as in the second tier, Fig. 1, then one flange of each box is cut away 'so that the side will abut the underside of-the box in the upper tier.

Extending from the bottom of each-box at' the rear" is a downwardly extending a-pron 6 and the apron of onebox is spacedfrom that of an adjoining-box, and these aprons can be bent to any angle desired after'the nest of'boxes is in'place. A name plate 9-r'na'y be'attaohed to the aprons and may extend from one-side to the other of the nest of boxes. Each name plate may have a seri s ofname card holders thereon, or-thename 'may be painted directly on the plate, if so desired." In order to secure thesena-me plates to the aprons ofth'e boxes, We provide extended Wide nuts" 10 which underlap two adjoining aprons,v as illus-' trated in- Fig. 16. A screw 11 extends through the name plate and into this nut, rigidly confining the name plate to the aprons.

12 is-the frame at the-front of 'thebox having rearwardly extending lugs 13 at each side. The'lugs have countersunkopenings for-ther'eeeption of the rivets 14. The object of making these openings counter sun-k-is to insure the head of-the ri-Vets'fr-ombeing flush with'the inner faceo-f the box when the rivets are headed, as in Fig. 11. The heads force the sheet metal of the box into the countersunkopeningsand the outer surface of each head of the rivet is flush With-the surface of the plate forming the side of thebox.

Projecting from the-loWer-edge of each frame arelugs 15 which rest in recesses 16 on-the upper edgesot the-box-below it and also have rearwardly extending lugs 25 upon'whi-ch restthe bottom--2 o'fnthe-sheet metal body of the box. Thus,-when the several boxes.a-re'assembledythe firont plates interlock'so'as to rigidly hold theparts togetherand-to give a neat appearance to the front of a nestoi boxes;

Pivotally mounted onthe frame, in the present-instance,-are doors 17, which are glazed inthe ordinary manner and have the usual locks. sothat when .these doors are opened, the ,lette'rs or other mail matter, canbe removed-from-the In some in stances, as mentioned. I above, and especially inthe larger-boxes,.drawers may be substituted for the doorswithout departin-gfrom the essential features-ottheinvention, as the trainee-ban be' used with drawers, as well asn ith/doors;

In order to hold the rear ends of the oneside of a nest of boxes to the other,

holding them rigidly in position.

These bolts pass through openings in the spacers as clearly illustrated in Figs. 8 and 13, looking the spacers rigidly in position. The transxerseboltsalsosupport the bottom of each 'box-at tlierear end. The upper portions of each U-shaped spacer 20 extends'be tween the-boxesof' the tier above, asclearlyillustrated in-Fig. 7. Thus the boxesare held-by the U-shaped spacers-at the rear of the nest and by the armsat'the-forward end.

21 is thebuseofthe end of each nest and 22 is the cap 'platewhich is shaped so that theboxes are properly'held. Vertical bolts 23 extend through thespaces between the boxes, preferably'directlyback-ofthe U shaped spacers and-directly back of the legs on the 'frontplutes a-nd when these bolts aresecured, the-nest-ofboxes is held vert'h Cihlly,' nswell as transversely. Side plates may be-located'on'each side of the boxes and held thereto by the transtersebolts and by flanges on "the top plate-and base, if de sired. This Willdepend' considerably. upon the finish desired.

. By the aboveoon'struction-it will beseen thatWe-are enabled'to make a nestof boxes entirely of metal, each. box .being complete in itself so that any number of boxes of any shape'can be nested together to form a post olliee structure. If alterationsare'desired, .the 'nest of boxes can bedismantled and the boxes arranged as-necessity de. mands.

In some instances, as shown in Fig. 8, the body portion. of thebox maybe made in sucha mannerthat the plate will form the top-of the box and'the two-sides instead oi the bottom of the box and the two sides without departing -frorn the essential .features' of: the invention.

.Instea'd' of making the body portion three-sided, as illustrated-in the drawings, Figs. 4: and..5',- they be made .as illustrated in Fig. 19,-in-whicheaclrbox liasa'top and bottom and-two. sides, made' from .a .single sheet..of-.-.metal, eitherbent-. and .joined at thetopnor made from a seamless tube. In this construction the transverse boltuwill pass between the bottom of one box' andthe top 01'! anothenas'shown.

As above-described, the body portion/oi the boxis made independently of the front frame and both..can .be carried'in stock in differentsizesyso that an. order can be filled by taking-certain sizes of bodies and front frames to-ma-ke up the nest. Prior to our invention this was impossible.

o In some instances, each a metallic body portion forming the floor and throughrivets may couple two-boxes together side by side.

We have shown the boxes with solid bot-'- toms, but the bottoms may be perforated in any manner desired.

lVhile We have illustrated our invention asapplied to post office boxes, it-w-ill be readily understood that it canb'e applied to filing cabinets, cardindex cabinets, or other comtainers, and that the forward frames,v can be slightly modified or omitted, and that drawers or the ordinaryslidin used in connection with We claim Y I 1. The combinationof a nest of post otlice boxes, each consisting'of a single box having t 1e containers.

abody portion and front frame, one front frame interlocking with another; means -for keeping the boxes, in alinement; and means for retaining the boxes in a'nest. I

2. The combination in a post oflice box of the type in which several boxes are nested tcgether'to form a post ofiice structure, each box consisting of a bodyportion formed of a' single horizontal section and two sides, the other horizontal section being formed by an adjoining boxso as to complete the closure; and an individual front frame secured to the sides of said body portion,

3. The combination of. a series of boxes, each having a body portion formed of a single horizontal" section and two sides, each box 1 having a front frame secured. thereto, the boxes being soarranged as to be placed side by side or one above the other; and means for securing a series of .boxes together independently of the front frames.

4. The combination in a post otlice box, of

and two sides ofja box and an individual front frame secured to the body portion and having a supporting lip extending under the door of the body portion. v

5. The combination of two post'ofiice boxes arranged side by side, each box having a body portion forming a floor and two sides; aframe secured to the front of each box and an integral downwardly projecting apron extending from the rear of each box;" and means for securing the aprons ofadjoining boxes together.

6. The combination in a post otlice box,of

a body portion: a front frame having rearwardly extending perforated lugs, the lugs of one plate alining-with those of the'plat'e of an adjoining box; and rivets passing through the lugs and securing the twoboxes together.

file boxes maybe The combination in a post oiiice box, of I sink being next to the side plate; the openings; in one. set-of. lugs alining with those on the plate ofan adjoiningbox; and a rivet passing through both sets of lugs, the heads of the rivet and-the' inturned metal .of the bodyrestinginthe countersink, the head of the rivet being flush/with the plate.

- 8.. The combination in a post o'tlice box, of-

abody portion made'of sheet metal and forming the bottom and two sides, the upper ends of one side beingotiset to form a shoulder for the box directly above it; a front frame secured tothe body portion and spaclng members located between adjoining boxes on the same p curing the boxes together.

9. The combination in a post oil-ice box, of two metallic body portions; a blister bent from the side of each body portion: and a arm extending through the blister of one box, the other arm extending throughthe blister of an adjoining box, said U-shaped member acting not only as a spacing means, but also as a means for retaining the boxes in position.

10. The combination of a series of boxes, each box having a body portion; a frame secured to the front of each box. the side members of each box being cut and bent to form blisters; perforated U-sha'ped spacing members extending between the boxes. and through the blisters; and transverse bolts extending through a series of the boxes and through the perforations in the spacing members.

11. The combination of a-series of boxes, each box having a body portion and a front frame; the body portion having. out turned flanges at ,the rear; and spacing members securing two boxes together on the same plane with the said flanges abutting.

12. The combination of a series of boxes arrangedside by side; each box having a deane; and transverse bolts se- U-shaped spacing member having arms, one

pending apron; a name plate extending in bolts securing the boxes together, each box having a sheet metal body portion and an individual front frame: said front frame interlocking; and means for securing the boxes together at the rear independently of the bolts. v 14. The combination of a. series of boxes arranged in a nest, each box consisting of a both of them and also extending between two containers of another set and forming a spacing means for said last mentioned con-' tainers.

16. The combination of two containers arranged side by side; bands on the ad o1n1ng walls of the said containers; and an attaching device having two arms arranged to enter the space back of the bands and to lock the two containers together.

In testimony whereof, we have signed our names to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ARTHUR C. JACKSON. FRANK SOLEY.

Witnesses:

J Wu. E. SHUPE,

\VM. A. BARR. 

